The Truth about Food Tracking
If you are here reading this you likely have a fitness goal you're working towards. Maybe you are on a quest to PR your lifts, maybe you have a weight loss or body composition goal you're after, or maybe you're just looking to get all around healthier. Whatever the specific goal is, we all know the crucial role nutrition plays. And while nutrition is arguably the most important part of any transformation, it can also be the most confusing as well.
What diet to follow?
Does meal timing matter?
How many calories to consume?
To fast or not to fast?
Do I need cheat days?
Can I just eat intuitively?
I would bet money one if not all of these questions have ran through your mind. So let me simplify things for you.
The first step to a foundation of better nutrition should be basic food tracking and understanding.
Notice I didn't say perfect macro tracking for the rest of your life. I said basic food tracking and understanding.
WHY?
Because everyone wants to either jump on a diet ban wagon as a "cure all" because it has a fancy title OR try and convince themselves that their intuition will be their north star. Let's not put the cart before the horse now, before you can live in full-on food freedom, before you can truly eat “intuitively,” you need to build a foundation.
Spoiler alert: that foundation is built through tracking.
Tracking teaches you:
•What macronutrients actually are
• Portion sizes (not vibes)
•How to read food labels
•What your body genuinely needs to feel fueled and satisfied
Because unfortunately intention doesn’t come from guessing, it comes from awareness.
And let’s be honest…our “intuition” is often shaped by convenience and availability (insert fast food, packaged snacks, highly palatable, nutrient scarce foods). If we lived in a world where all food was hunted and gathered, intuitive eating would be a lot easier… but we don’t.
This is not to say you will never get to a place of "intuitive eating," it is absolutely possible. But true intuitive eating comes after proper education, practice, and reps.
And most coaches selling the dream of intuitive eating? Spoiler alert: They’ve spent years tracking food. They’ve already built the foundation. Often times, they leave out that little(BIG) detail(of the process) in order to get you sold on the end goal
So here’s my spicy take after 15 years of coaching: You don’t get to freestyle until you’ve mastered the basics.
And yes, both can and should be achieved.
Even after you understand macros and nutrition, there will be seasons where intuition leads you a little off track. And that’s when you pull the tool back out.
Because tracking macros is:
• A tool
• Not a life sentence
• Not a diet
• Not restriction
• Not disordered
It’s a way to learn how to fuel your body, understand what foods work for you, and have a resource when you need it.
Food tracking has helped thousands of people break out of food prisons, repair unhealthy relationships with food, and gain real insight into their habits and nutrient intake.
Here’s the truth-
You can reach food freedom…but not without the groundwork.
Intuition kicks in after consistency. And when your intuition starts whispering “a sleeve of Oreos every night sounds right,” it might be time to use the tool again for a few weeks.
If you're new to food tracking, check out the video linked below on some basic logging tips using My Fitness Pal. (there are countless tracking apps, MFP is just the one my clients and I personally use) ⬇️
https://youtu.be/sTn5ocLEZIA?si=dbxWMhWi4YIkD9jd
I challenge you to tune into the resistance to tracking when it shows up. Are the grumbles and groans because you're avoiding the one thing you know will move the needle for you? Are you avoiding facing the nutritional truths because you know it is going to require a massive overhaul? Or are you simply avoiding the process because you aren't sure the exact what you should be looking at and how to adjust things?
Whatever the uncertainty or doubts are that show up for you around macros and food tracking, know that I am here for you. Shoot me back any questions, comments, concerns you have and lets get you moving in the right direction.
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